1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns measuring equipment for lumps or pieces of dough in a volumetric sense from a funnel-shaped container sufficiently filled with dough, sliding horizontally over the dough dividing part, which consists of a cylindrical measuring chamber enclosing an up and down movable piston-shaped body.
2. Related Art
The equipment is a further surprising development of the dough divider similar to that shown in Dutch TIL nos. 9 000 440 and 9 002 243 being "Equipment for measuring out lumps of dough usually called dough divider" and "Method for equipment for measuring lumps of dough, usually called dough divider", respectively.
In the first named Dutch TIL no. 9 000 440, the dough divider is completely described for the model that is most practical and attractive for use. In this TIL the main parts have been described, being a container filled with dough, which is within a certain range horizontally moveable across a measuring device positioned therebelow, consisting of a more or less vertically placed cylindrical-shaped measuring chamber (measuring cylinder), which contains an up and down moveable piston-shaped body. In the container facilities have been fitted, which facilities optimally improve the supply to the measuring device. The measuring device contains specific means, in the first place, to optimize the determination of the volume of the dough. The head of the piston contains a filter and at least one drilled hole to suck the dough into the cylindrical measuring chamber, and to optimally press the dough out later.
In the second mentioned Dutch TIL no. 9 002 243 the working of the measuring cylinder has been further modified so that the quantity of dough in the measuring cylinder is adjustable within even smaller ranges. This means that the suction and pressing of the dough piece with the concerning means have been reasonably optimized.
Field tests with the aforementioned equipment showed however that, with longterm use, starches from the dough started to accumulate inside the filters in the piston head, which leads to a decrease of the suction action of the piston head, thus gradually causing irregularities in the volume of the dough piece.